E-Paper
Iranian fishermen find iPhones, luxury perfume bottles floating in Strait of Hormuz
In a video that is going viral, a man is heard saying he was sailing towards a sunken ship to collect items that were floating around it.
Prefer HTon Google
Videos showing iPhones and luxury perfume bottles floating in the Strait of Hormuz have surfaced on social media. Reportedly, the items spilt overboard from the Singapore-flagged container ship GFS Pride, which sank on October 14.
“We are gathering and heading towards the Strait of Hormuz,” one man said in a video. “We heard a container ship sank, so we’re going to collect iPhones and perfume.”
Also Read: Iran increases threat to Strait of Hormuz shipping, and other Middle East developments
The ship sank after a fire broke out on board after being struck by an unidentified projectile. All 21 crew members were evacuated safely, and no injuries were reported.
"GFS PRIDE sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated. No injuries have been reported," the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a statement, reported the Telegraph.
According to maritime security sources, GFS Pride was a small container vessel with a capacity of 2,824 20-foot equivalent units (TEU).
Also Read: 5 Indians rescued after Kuwait-flagged tanker hit by projectile in Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Revolutionary Guards said that the ship hit naval mines and sank while passing through what they claimed was an "unauthorised" route in the Strait of Hormuz.
Surge in attacks:
Attacks around the waterway have surged over the past 10 days. In a separate incident, a dry bulk carrier sank after being hit by a projectile.
(With inputs from Reuters)
